The annual startup showcase puts a wide range of innovative technologies on display

The Demo conference has a storied past, serving as a launching pad for businesses that would grow into industry powerhouses, such as VMware and Salesforce.com. Here's a look at the most innovative mobile products that hit the Demo Mobile stage this week.

Quite literally, the PanaCast camera provides a unique perspective on videoconferencing. The device is small enough to be moved anywhere in a given location and captures video at a 200-degree field of view. With Android and iOS apps accompanying desktop support for Windows and Mac, the PanaCast system can accommodate almost any user at any given time.

Designed for developing countries with limited access to clean water, the Flowbit system involves hardware installed at the water source and an app installed on a mobile device. Through the combination, which involves simple installation on an already installed water treatment system, Flowbit enables remote monitoring of water temperature, flow rates, and total dissolved solids. All data is stored and accessible in the cloud.

The Kinsa Smart Thermometer not only takes the user's temperature, but connects to a user's smartphone, enabling him or her to contact health care providers, record health issues for later consultation, and even compare symptoms to local health issues to identify possible causes of illness.

The Lynx A Camera makes 3D imaging as easy as traditional photography. The device is slightly larger than an iPad at 11.5 inches by 8 inches by 1 inch and operates the same as a point-and-shoot camera, producing 3D images of the object being captured. The objects can then be exported to the popular Blender, Revit, and Maya 3D imaging software.

Established by design company Maya, MakerSwarm aims to disrupt the current mobile app development ecosystem by enabling a more democratic process by which collaborators can create apps. To do so, the company says it aims to dissolve the distinction between users and developers and, in doing so, change the culture in the mobile app industry.

Apps in Orbit is targeting an underserved mobile market: space. It's an app store based on data that is aggregated from satellite cameras and sensors already in orbit. The framework will be open-sourced as well, so mobile app developers can put custom apps into orbit.

Nurep aims to use mobile technology to help medical organizations cut labor costs and better allocate resources. While performing operations, surgeons and other doctors often need medical device representatives in the room to provide support. Nurep replaces the in-person representative with remote support through the doctor's smartphone.

Almost like Twitter for local events, Stash connects people to the organizations that bring events to their area. Users are updated when new events are announced, and can save those that they are interested in. The app can even import Facebook events and link to the iOS Calendar app to integrate entertainment events with all other plans.

Using the front-facing camera on a smartphone, EyeTribe's technology follows users' eyes and activates icons for mobile apps or links as they look at them, making all that swiping and poking with fingers unnecessary.

The Beer Hunt is a good resource for beer enthusiasts looking for new brews to try. Users log the types of beer they drink, and the app spits out data on what's popular, while also keeping a tab on who drinks the most craft beers.

After being discharged from their health care providers, some patients find it difficult to keep up with their recovery plans. Wellframe establishes an interactive to-do list for the patient to follow, improving the rate of recovery and identifying helpful trends.

WordsEye automatically translates textual content into 3D images, which the company says could be useful for product placement or social marketing. For example, the image at left was made with WordsEye after a user typed in commands for the kind of flooring, size of the room, and furniture.

Recognizing that many avid e-book readers likely have a large collection of hard-copy books, LightLibrary has established a way for users to create digital backup for their libraries. The user simply signs the copyright page of a book, takes a picture of the page, and then processes it with LightLibrary, which brings the user to an automatic e-book download page.

Although many websites and mobile apps offer reviews for restaurants, these reviews come from strangers who don't necessarily share your point of view. Traffic App focuses on users' own social circles to collect recommendations that will likely fit better to their tastes.

Travefy recognizes the natural obstacles to organizing a group trip, from keeping track of the dozens of emails, texts, and Facebook messages to making sure everybody is accounted for. Travefy provides a platform on which users can suggest trip locations, invite their friends, gather a vote on which destination is best, and book flights and hotels.